Lighting candles ruined my walls, but I've worked out the trick to still use them without damaging my home

As a lover of all things cosy, lighting candles is one of my favourite things to do. Whether it’s a warming vanilla pumpkin, floral jasmine and sandalwood, or fresh lavender and geranium, you can guarantee that I’ll be burning candles all year long. However, after discovering the damage it had caused my walls, I found a new trick that allowed me to use my candles without further mess.

I love nothing more than making my home smell nice. But when I started to notice strange, black marks on my walls that simply wouldn’t shift, I suspected that all my candle lighting might be doing more harm than I had realised.

The candle smoke had somehow gotten everywhere – yes, everywhere, even behind my blinds. I tried desperately to clean it, using sugar soap, a magic eraser, soap & water, or even just a dry cloth. Nothing worked, and it only seemed to make it worse, smearing the soot around.

The worst places were directly above where I burned my candles, especially windowsills and behind frames. When I removed my blinds, I was shocked to find that the wall was almost black from all of the smoke.

My ceilings were also bad. All four corners of my lounge looked dark and dingy, and the crevice where the walls met the ceiling was notably covered, too. Even touching the walls with my fingers left marks. The only thing left to do was redecorate. When I painted my ceilings with Dulux’s Brilliant White, I was appalled at the difference in the colour, despite it being the same as what I’d painted originally, only a year before.

My solution to using candles without wall damage

Two coats of paint covered the stains completely. Now I had a newly decorated room, and not a single bit of candle smoke in sight. But a part of me was still sad that I could no longer risk burning candles. I tried a few alternative ways to make my home smell nice without using candles, like diffusers and room sprays, but I missed the cosy ambience that a candle created. I also didn't want to risk trying soy candles, which emit clean smoke, in case they still caused marks.

The trick I found instead was to use a candle lamp; it was the answer to all of my prayers. Candle lamps are like a regular lamp, except the bulb is a heat lamp. When you place a candle below it, it heats it, releasing the scent. And the best part is - no flame.

But if there’s no flame, where’s the ambience? Well, it’s a lamp, so it lights up too. There is an impressive selection of stunning candle lamps on the market with various glass shades, which create the most beautiful atmosphere. They're adjustable, too, so you can use any size candle with it.

Most come with a little control panel attached to the cable, where you can set the intensity of the brightness, as well as a timer. So, gone are the days of forgetting to blow out a candle at night and worrying about your house burning down - perhaps that’s just me?

On a whim, I bought one, despite being slightly worried that it was just a gimmick. But to my delight, it wasn’t, and I absolutely loved it. I have since bought one more, so I can have one in my lounge and one in my bedroom, and have also inspired several family members to purchase their own as well.

My candles are longer-lasting, my house smells wonderful, and most importantly, my walls are still pristine.

Other candle warmers to try

Have you tried out a candle warmer before and would you recommend one? Let us know in the comments below.